Critical Thinking Report Spring 2022
Overview
Virginia Tech has chosen to measure two outcomes within the Discourse area of the Pathways general education program for the assessment of critical thinking. These two outcomes were chosen based on their alignment with the concept of Critical Thinking.
Discourse is the exchange of ideas in writing or speaking, adapted to specific contexts and developed through discovery, analysis, creation, presentation, and evaluation. A student who is competent in discourse demonstrates the ability to reason, write, and speak effectively for academic, professional, and public purposes. (Students take three courses in this area of the curriculum.)
Courses in Discourse are designated as either Foundational or Advanced/Applied. During the Spring 2022 semester, Virginia Tech offered 78 Pathways courses that included the Core Concept of Discourse. Of those, 7 courses were approved as Foundational, and 71 courses were approved as Advanced/Applied.
Outcomes Virginia Tech Measured this Reporting Cycle
- Discover and comprehend information from a variety of written, oral, and visual sources.
- Analyze and evaluate the content and intent of information from diverse sources.
Virginia Tech's Target for this Reporting Cycle
At least 70% of students will be rated as meeting or exceeding competency in this area.
Methods
All undergraduate students are required to participate in the Pathways to General Education program. All courses approved for this area of general education will participate in the assessment process. All students will complete the required assessment developed by the faculty member teaching the course. Faculty develop their own assessment methodologies based on the content and structure of the course. All assessments must be direct measures of student learning. Some possibilities include: written assignments, multiple‐choice items, projects, case studies, and artistic creations. Faculty determine what is a below competent, competent, or above competent level of performance on each learning outcome. Rubrics have been developed to guide faculty in this process.
Data and Analysis
